Jackson Free Press

Mississippi's pardon process isn't race-blind, either. A Reuters analysis, completed by Himanshu Ojha, Marcus Stern and Jackson Free Press stringer Robbie Ward, found that the more than 200 acts of clemency former Gov. Haley Barbour granted during his tenure helped more white prisoners than African Americans.

Although blacks make up approximately two-thirds of inmates doing time in Mississippi's prisons, African Americans received just one-third of the Barbour pardons and commutations.

Conversely, whites received two-thirds of the pardon benefits even though whites comprise just one-third of the state's prison population. However, without knowing the racial background of each applicant, it is difficult to draw solid conclusions about the apparent disparity.

The Reuters analysis excludes Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans, who collectively represent just over 1 percent of all prisoners in MDOC custody.

University of Georgia statisticians Kim Love-Myers and Jaxk Reeves performed the Reuters analysis.

"This type of observational information cannot prove causality, though it does indicate a significant relationship between race and the probability of being pardoned," Love-Myers told the news organization.

Barbour's spokeswoman, Laura Hipp, also responded to Reuters. She said: "Race was not a factor in his decision. In fact, it wasn't even listed on the Parole Board's application."